The research objectives of this project are to gain an understanding of the chemical structure of glycoprotein hormones and to relate knowledge of their structure to their function in the body. The primary interest of the laboratory concerns the pituitary hormones, thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), luteinizing hormone (LH) and related glycoprotein fractions both from primate and non-primate mammalian species. After the knowledge of chemical structure is complete, a major objective then is an investigation of the contributions of various portions of the molecule (including the carbohydrate) to the hormonal activity of TSH and to make chemical modifications which will aid in an understanding of thyroid physiology and treatment of disorders of the thyroid gland. A second objective is to prepare human glycoprotein hormones of better antigenic purity then presently available in order to make immunological studies on the relationships between the human hormones and to make these antigens available to others.